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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · stem · object · staff · present · cell · wax · march

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. staff — employees
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. staff — employees
  6. present — a gift
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. march — the month
  16. staff — a stick
  17. present — the time now
  18. stem — to come from
  19. march — the month
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. present — there
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. march — music
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com